As part of the broader International Summer School of Photography 2016 programme, we invite you to the artist talks of two photographers - ISSP 2016 masters - Paolo Woods and Federico Clavarino in Riga!

Paolo Woods ran a photography gallery and a laboratory before dedicating himself to documentary photography. His long-term projects blend photography with investigative journalism. He has published four books of photography in collaboration with acclaimed writers and artists. Most recently, he has worked for three years with photographer Gabriele Galimberti on the project "The Heavens", the first photographic investigation into the workings of tax havens. The show has premiered at the Festival of Arles in France and is currently touring worldwide. The book has been selected as one of the best books of 2015.www.paolowoods.net

Federico Clavarino is a photographer and teacher of photography at BlankPaper school in Madrid. His first photobook, "Ukraina Pasport", came out in 2011, receiving the PhotoEspaña Award Honourable Mention as the best photobook of 2011. In September 2014 Akina Books published his second book, "Italia o Italia", recently, in April 2016, his third book, "The Castle", was published by Dalpine.www.federicoclavarino.com

Dear all, the applications to ISSP 2018 are now officially closed, the only exception being a special workshop for curators "Curating Photography: A Laboratory of Ideas, Projects and Practices" by Natasha Christia - applications for this workshop are still accepted until 15 April 2018! We received over 190 applications for the ISSP 2018, to be evaluated by our dear partners from Calvert Magazine, YET and GUP Magazines and Format photography festival - very excited!

As part of the ISSP International Masterclass 2018/2019 first session in Kuldīga, talks and presentations by programme tutors and participants are open to all lovers of photography and image-based art from 12 to 15 March!

After a year-long creative break, we are happy to announce the call for applications for the International Summer School of Photography 2018! Coming back with fresh shifts in the programme, ISSP 2018 will feature cutting edge workshops with Jason Fulford, Lisa Barnard, Salvatore Vitale & Sarker Protick, Yumi Goto & Jan Rosseel, a special laboratory for photography curators with Natasha Christia, and a brand new on-campus ISSP Residency! ISSP will take place 28 July – 5 August 2018 in Kuldīga. Applications open till 30 March!

The applications for the next round of the ISSP International Masterclass are now open! The programme offers a year-long mentorship for 24 emerging photographers, with three intense workshop sessions between Kuldīga and Sicily and online feedback in between. The mentors for 2018/2019 are Peter Bialobrzeski ("A Sense of Change") and Clare Strand and Gordon MacDonald ("Answering Questions & Questioning Answers"). The programme will start in March 2018, applications accepted by 10 January 2018!
Information and applications: www.isspmasterclass.com

The final session of the ISSP International Masterclass 2016/2017 has just been completed in Kuldīga, and the projects by 20 photographers from 13 countries, mentored for a year by Phillip Toledano and Simon Norfolk are on show for the first time in Kuldīga Arts Hall! The Exhibition is open until 19 November!

An exciting programme of evening talks by our special guests Emma Bowkett, Teun van der Heijden, Lars Willumeit and The Cool Couple will be open to the public in Kuldīga as part of the final session of the 2016/2017 ISSP International Masterclass!